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Ray Blades played ten seasons in the majors and was an above-average hitter. He appeared in three World Series. He also played six years in the minors and had a career as a minor league and major league manager.

In 1941, Blades managed the New Orleans Pelicans, the Cards' affiliate in the Southern Association. In 1942, he left the Cardinals organization, coaching for the Cincinnati Reds. In 1943, Blades found himself managing New Orleans again, this time for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He managed the St. Paul Saints from 1944 to 1946, and became a coach for the Dodgers in 1947 and 1948. He was one of the prime candidates to succeed Leo Durocher as Brooklyn manager when Durocher was suspended by CommissionerHappy Chandler at the end of spring training in 1947, but Dodgers GM Branch Rickey chose Burt Shotton instead. Blades won his only game as interim manager in 1948, after Durocher had returned at the start of the year, only to be dismissed in mid-July after the team got off to a poor start. Once again, it was Shotton who got to succeed "the Lip" as skipper. Blades then coached for the Cardinals again (1951) and the Chicago Cubs (1953-1956). Overall, Blades' teams went 107-85 in 1+ seasons as a manager in the majors and 909-755 in 11 minor league seasons.